Children Will Have Heroes
The only question is whether they will be positive or negative heroes.
After extensive interviews with children, journalist Richard Louv laments that “Again and again, young people defined a hero as someone… who grabbed what he wanted – which usually included money and media attention – and moved on. But ideals? Get outta here.”
We recognize the power of heroes, but also believe in heroic ideals. We embrace our Mission and the Four Rs.
What do we look for?
We look for excellence, fun and a commitment to our mission. We look at hundreds of candidates to fill dozens of spaces for new counselors (most of our counselors are returning or are graduates of our high school leadership program, so we do not have many new spots in a summer).
We conduct rigorous interviews. We require references and do thorough background checks.
We hold them to high standards.
Our counselors know they are more than instructors or babysitters, so they embrace our culture of community and support. They also live by higher standards. For example, during the summer, all of us agree to abstain from any alcohol. This is not because we are prohibiltionists, but we believe it is a powerful message to young people to have a wholesome environment that is a blast.
We train them extensively
Having excellent individuals is only part of the battle, they must also be trained. Our counselor training is as long as any in the industry. Counselors arrive 12 days before camp to learn about safety (physical and emotional), techniques for working with campers and our traditions. Counselors who are lifeguards or who work at the Ropes Course and Climbing Wall come three days earlier for additional training.
We celebrate each other
Our full-time Leadership Team models the behavior we want from our counselors. So we celebrate their successes and support them through their challenges. By doing so, we find that our counselors are more inclined to approach your children in the same way.
We believe that you can have a great camp on an acre of asphalt if you have the right counselor-heroes. Of course, we have a beautiful facility and wonderful toys, but we always remember that camp is more about role models than activities.
